In a development that signals the deepening convergence of Silicon Valley and the US defense establishment, OpenAI-the maker of the widely known ChatGPT-has signed a $200 million contract with the Pentagon. Announced by the US Department of Defense on June 17, the agreement tasks the company with developing “prototype frontier AI capabilities” to address “critical national security challenges,” in both warfighting and enterprise domains.

While OpenAI frames the deal as part of a broader mission to “defend democracy” amid intensifying technological competition with China, the arrangement has sparked concerns over the role of private AI developers in the militarization of artificial intelligence and the growing entanglement between commercial innovation and US military strategy.

OpenAI’s contract with the Pentagon represents its first officially disclosed partnership with the Department of Defense, but the company’s collaboration with military actors is not entirely new. In December, OpenAI joined forces with Anduril Industries-a defense technology firm known for autonomous surveillance and drone systems-to develop artificial intelligence systems for counter-drone operations. That project aimed to synthesize time-sensitive data, lighten the cognitive burden on human operators, and increase battlefield awareness through automated decision-making.

The Pentagon’s new agreement with OpenAI extends beyond tactical counter-drone efforts. It opens the door to a broader range of military and intelligence applications that may include AI-driven surveillance, logistics, communications, and possibly decision-support systems for combat operations. According to the DoD’s statement, the project is to be carried out in the National Capital Region, encompassing Washington DC, and its surrounding defense and intelligence institutions,........

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